Hi Opie! is coming home with a spin-off

Opie's Home, a spin-off to The Jim Henson Company co-pro Hi Opie!, is slated to premiere in 2017.

Toronto’s marblemedia has partnered with TVO, City Saskatchewan, Knowledge Network and The Jim Henson Company to produce Opie’s Home.

The new 39 x seven-minute series follows four-year-old Opie as he explores new things in and around his home. The titular character, who was designed and built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, is once again voiced and operated by puppeteer Jordan Lockhart. The series will also feature veteran Canadian actor Graham Greene as Opie’s next-door neighbor Mr. Kabashio.

Hi Opie! was created by Barbara Slade, developed in partnership with TVOKids and produced in association with The Jim Henson Company. It followed Opie as he ventured to kindergarten for the first time.

Opie’s Home is currently in production in Ontario and is slated to premiere in 2017. In addition to the new series, marblemedia is developing an interactive website and mobile app to accompany the show.

Opie’s Home is executive produced by marblemedia’s Mark Bishop, Matt Hornburg and Miklos Perlus, who also serves as showrunner. TVO’s director of Kids TV, Marney Malabar, will also executive produce, alongside The Jim Henson Company’s Halle Stanford. Sharon Summerling will produce and Lowell Dean of Lolofilms will associate produce and direct.

Distribution360 will share the broadcast and digital distribution with The Jim Henson Company, which will also oversee format rights, as well as all merchandising and licensing rights worldwide.